To gain muscle or to burn fat?

Fat Loss Process

To start fat loss, you need to eat in small portions and drink not less than 7-8 glasses of water per day. This will not allow the metabolism to slow down. In addition, it prevents you from overeating as a result of the widespread famine that comes when you are not eating. Eat 5 times a day to 300-500 calories. Also try not to take a break between meals more than 4 hours. But the key point here is to create a small deficit of 400 – 500 calories per day. Do it with respect to balance of proteins, carbs and fats in your meal and you will feel that your body have started to use it’s own fat in order to meet your energy demand. Remember, that if you don’t take enough protein, it will affect your muscles; and if you don’t take enough carbs or fats, it will affect your energy system and vitamins adoption.

Anaerobic Training for Fat Burning

Anaerobic training is the next step to defining your body. Cardiovascular exercises (cycling, swimming, running, etc) performed with some intervals in-between is much more efficiently in accelerating metabolism than the measured aerobic workout. Interval training will burn more calories per minute and speed up your metabolism for several hours. Desired volume loads with the weights in combination with intensive interval training can keep your metabolism at a high level for at least 24 hours. Perform 3 or 4 sessions a week in the morning. Strength training is also effective way to burn fat, though. Kilogram of muscle mass burns 9 times more calories than kilogram of fat mass. So do not forget to perform your usual weight workout.

Conclusion

When you’ve limited your calories intake and incorporated cardiovascular exercises into your weight program, the result won’t take long to be seen.

Written by: Dennis Borisoff
© December  2010 ww.gymper.com. All rights reserved. Reprint article with link only

Hey, dude. I am glad to welcome you here. Probably you have read my “epistolary snivels” before. If not, then you have such possibility now.  My name is Dennis and I do not afraid to speak loudly what I really think about bodybuilding and other subjects.  Now I am going to tell you why cardio workout is bad idea if your target is maximum muscle gain.   I feel unexpected desire to do something profitable for bodybuilding society tonight. That is why I decide to observe this important subject.

No Cardio for Bodybuilders.

Beginning our conversation I want to say that Cardio for Bodybuilders is wasting time naturally. You do not need cardio workout in 99% of cases, if your target is to gain muscles, of course…

I hate running long distances. I was the best at short distance when studied at primary school because sport was my best friend always. But a long cross was my nightmare. I was the last in this and, probably, I began hate cardio from those times.

Heart Diseases and Cardio

When I tell that cardio for bodybuilders is wasting time, people sometimes become angry with me.  And the main argument of those persons is cardio benefit as the best preventer of heart diseases.   How? Didn`t you jogging? Didn`t you know? You need to do cardio for heart training! -, they say.

Sounds logically, isn`t so?  But one moment is here. Our heart tension is constant always.  You can change heart rate frequency only, when perform difficult cardio workout.  And, if so… For what reason do you train your heart?  Ok, Dennis, – can you say. Changing heart rate is this useful   training.

Well. If it is so…Than I know a much better way for this reason.  There is one activity matched special for this reason.  Have you guessed what I talking about? Yes, classical weight training force you heart to increase its rate frequency dramatically.   Put your hand on your heart after heavy squats and you will understand what I talking about.  You shouldn`t search pulse on your wrist because it is easily   to feel strong rate of your engine in your chest section.

And such heart workout would be much better then classical cardio because its interval character. By such workout, tension time replaced by resting time. Interval workout is good always.

Continuing to speak about heart problems (I do not mean such “heart problems”, when young dudes sing serenades under ladies windows. I mean heart diseases)  I want to say, that everybody who have such problems know, that first advise the doc gives is to lose body weight. And diet with weight training is the best servant in this deal because excess fat leads to heart diseases.

Maximum Muscle Gain and Cardio

Nevertheless, that if your target is maximum muscle gain in off season, you should avoid cardio workout at all. The point is that, weight training involves your body in an anabolic state and it is good news. But cardio training downs you under catabolic state. This news isn`t at all pleasant. Any kind of weight (ANaerobic) training forces your glands to increase anabolic hormones level which start muscle growth but cardio (AEROBIC) training counteracts  this by releasing catabolic hormones. Why so? It is very big subject for separate article. If shortly: Every bird likes its own nest. Now we speak in general, because result is more important for us.

Off Season Cardio for Fat Burning.

It is the myth which became very popular in bodybuilding society. Many people believe that off season cardio will stimulate fat burning by metabolism stimulating. That is why many bodybuilders do cardio workout in the off season for fat burning. This idea is not so pleasant as you can think. First of all, cardio (aerobic) training doesn`t burn as many fats (calories) as people believe. (You can see it in nutrition tables. Look how many calories you burn while do cardio).  On the other hand weight training helps you add muscles and by this causes your body to burn more fat even at rest.  The truth is that both cardio and weight training will increase metabolism for few hours after workout. But weight training stimulates muscle building and by this it increases the need for calories from food.

Another unpleasant thing is that our body adapts to cardio workout. And this process do not need much time.  Our body does not understand that you want to burn fat for attractive appearance. Our body “think” that you in critical situation because you spend calories more, than get.  In what way can it help? Easily!  Your body becomes more efficient at performing cardio work and preserving energy (calories). Over the time cardio becomes easier and you spend less calories per hour then was at beginning.  Your body burn less and less calories.

Energy System

When you perform weight lifting sessions you train muscles and energy system you use during this session. The more time you have spent on such training the more clever became your body for  buffering lactic acid, storing glycogen, resynthesizing ATP and promotion forceful muscle contraction.  It is Anaerobic pathway.

Cardio (Aerobic), on the other hand, train different aerobic pathway. And you have to know that for the best result in any physical activity you have to train its energy pathway.  Low of specificity is the name of this rule.  And good sprinter will never practice ten mile runs in order to improve his 60 meter dash. That is why if you a bodybuilder, you have to lift weights, not to do cardio, in order to gain muscle mass. That is why a long cross was my nightmare at primary school.

Muscle Fibers.

There are two types of muscle fibers in our muscles. Cardio involves slow twitch muscle fibers and bodybuilding workout involves fast twitch fibers. The last ones are composed of 2 types. The 2b fibers (for weight training only) and the 2a fibers (for weight training OR!!!! for aerobic training). That is why when you combine weight and cardio training in the Off-season, you lose possibility to make 2a fibers thicker.  Every bird likes its own nest. If you target is maximum muscle gain than you have to do 2a fibers more similar to 2b fibers. And weight training by itself will help you.

Conclusion

There are many people who jogging not for fat burning but for pleasure. This is nice because every man to his taste. But if you do not like cardio, you shouldn`t do it for fat burning. Facts are stubborn things.

On the right you can see remarkable hare. It is RSS feed subscription for my fresh articles.

I invite you to discuss your questions in my forum.

And last thing….Remember, my friend,  All change is not growth; all movement is not forward.

Let‘s sleep on it

Cardio for Bodybuilders is Written by: Dennis Borisoff
© December  2010 ww.gymper.com. All rights reserved. Reprint article with link only

Amino Acids, including BCAA (to Branched-Chain Amino Acids) are vital for any bodybuilder as they are involved in countless processes in your body, such as muscle building, for example. So to get the result you want and to manage your diet goals perfectly some information regarding amino acid formulas is necessary.

All amino acids function in protein synthesis and stimulate muscle formation. BCCA in particularly help to prevent reduce of protein in your body after a hard workout, when the tissue uses its muscle protein for energy. Hence, BCAA help to recover faster and to get muscle strength and volume faster.

Unfortunately, some of these aminos are not able to be produced in the tissue without an external income, e.g. diet. This fact is extremely important for the essential BCAA amino acids valine, isoleucine and leucine, which provide your body with certain anti-catabolic and anabolic effect both separately and together. These BCAA can be found in red meat, diary products and some other high-protein food.

Supplements with essential aminos are considered to be more efficient than natural food, though. The reason for that is imbalance of different amino acids in natural products, while special supplements can guarantee a checked proportion of matter that will fulfill body’s requirements. The best dose is 5 to 10 grams, which shuld be taken after the workout, when the need for recovery is the strongest. If you need to increase effect, than it’s allowed to take some before training to stimulate convalescence. As for the proportions of BCAA, there must be two parts of leucine per one part of valine and one part of isoleucine. If taken according to instruction, no side effect will happen.

Written by: Dennis Borisoff
© December  2010 ww.gymper.com. All rights reserved. Reprint article with link only

Nutritional Guidelines for Building Muscle

• Water, minerals and vitamins must be presented in your diet in the right proportion. Make sure that you drink 3 to 4 liters of water with regular intervals and without waiting till you want to drink. It will promote metabolism and assist many physiological processes. In the same time you need to avoid other drinks, especially alcohol, as it is a source of empty calories and lower protein synthesis by 20%. Try to get the most useful ingredients for your diet in order not to substitute it with supplements. Get your vitamins and mineral from food, not supplements.

• The right nutrients balance is the key to successful mass building. A good proportion is approximately 50% of your daily calories from carbohydrates, 30% from protein and 20% from fat. Standard proportion of protein is about 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight per day, and the other nutrients should be also kept in proportion, as they are involved in all physiological processes within the body. The best sources of carbohydrates are cereal, pasta and other starches, but you also should use fibrous carbohydrates, such as vegetables, because they stimulate digestion process and detox. Proteins can be get from fatless meat, eggs and diary products, and essential fatty acids Omega-6 and Omega-3 are contained in fish, nuts and vegetable oils.

• Control your calories intake. If you want to build muscle mass, you must eat more calories than you burn. Value of calories that can be added over your normal intake varies from your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). You can perform necessary calculations on website and decide how much more calories do you need. Also remember to distribute your total intake of calories throughout the entire day. Eating is small portions, but more often, will help you to maintain a positive nitrogen balance, when the mass growth is possible. Proteins supplements can also be used for this goal.

Written by: Dennis Borisoff
© November  2010 ww.gymper.com. All rights reserved. Reprint article with link only

As you already know, there are three main macronutrients that are provided to your body via food: protein, fat and carbohydrates. The last, but not the least, are carbohydrates, the main role of those is to supply your muscles with energy necessary for intensive trainings and fat burning. Lack of carbs in your diet may lead to the state of hypoglycemia (low sugar level in blood) and gluconeogenesis – the decrease of glucose level and, hence, energy level. That’s why you need to include enough carbohydrates in your daily meals.

Commonly carbohydrates can be separated in two categories: simple and complex carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates mean simple, quick energy. They include glucose, fructose and other monosaccharides, as well as  disaccharides (lactose, maltose, etc). Complex carbohydrates supply your body with sustained energy that can be released any time your tissues have these carbs. Among them are glycogen, starch, fiber and other polysaccharides, which can be taken from the vegetables and cereal. The sources of starch are also bread, pasta, potatoes, legumes and rice. Fiber can be found in fruits, nuts and vegetables and important to prevent tissues from toxicity.

Other possible classification of carbohydrates is based on Glycemic Index (GI). GI evaluates the speed of transformation of carbohydrates into blood sugar. If this ranking is high, carbohydrate become blood sugar quicker and will release more insulin, which controls the amount of glucose in the blood. So, high GI food should be limited in order not to release too much insulin.

As for placing carbs in your diet, there is one simple rule to remember: use them when your need energy. Hence, carbohydrate must be a significant part of you meal at morning and after the training. Post-workout meal may include high GI food, while the rest should include low GI carbs mostly. That will promote your muscle growth without overinsulining your blood.

Written by: Dennis Borisoff
© November  2010 ww.gymper.com. All rights reserved. Reprint article with link only

Protein is an essential macronutrient, that is extremely important to be controlled as it is indispensable for building muscle. It is made up of structural chains called amino acids. There are 20 amino acids in protein, and 9 of them can’t be produced in the body, so they have to be given to the body with food. Why? Because without enough protein body won’t be able to manufacture and repair its structures and synthesize hormones, antibodies and neurotransmitters, which mean that body won’t be able to fulfill its duties properly. Even energy is partly dependant from proteins.

Positive nitrogen balance

Positive nitrogen balance, maintaining by certain amino acids, should be kept instantly, as it is required for new tissue synthesis. Still, in the phase of negative nitrogen balance state proteins is also functioning through the muscle breakdown. That’s why the protein intake has to be distributed over the entire day. Remember that training increases body’s needs for protein, which mean that you need to consume more with such products as meat, eggs, diary products and nuts. It is good to combine protein with carbohydrates since they help to facilitate its absorption.

To control your protein you also need to know how fat this or that protein is absorbed. According to this measurement proteins can be classified depending on their Biological Value. If this ranking is high, you don’t need to get this protein more often as it is absorbed quicker and also taken out without using if there is too much of it. One more classification can be built on Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acids Score (PDCAAS). If PDCAAS is high, than these proteins contain more amino acids required by human body. Usually, animal products contain proteins that have larger score both on PDCAAS and Biological Value. So, animal sources should be included in your diet in the morning, when you body is starving without proteins, and after the training, when it needs quick recovery. In the same time animal products should be avoided before going to sleep as they can provoke a catabolic state.

Written by: Dennis Borisoff
© November  2010 ww.gymper.com. All rights reserved. Reprint article with link only

Macronutrients Guide: Fat.

Still, fat is different and consequently has to be separated in two categories: e.g. good fat (mono- and polyunsaturated fats) and e.g. bad fat (saturated fats and trans fatty acids). Useful fats can benefit your health through increasing GDL cholesterol and substituting LDL cholesterol, while harmful ones can seriously damage your body if not limited.

Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are contained in vegetable oils (olive, safflower, flaxseed sunflower seed and others), nuts and fish. Including these products in your diet will help to keep good level of such elements as Linoleic Acid (Omega-6) and Linolenic Acid (Omega-3), also called EFA’s (Essential Fatty Acids). These acids have to be imported as they cannot be manufactured within the body.

Bad fats are considered bad because they increase LDL cholesterol level, which leads, eventually, to coronary diseases. Therefore you need to avoid animal sources, such as meat (except chicken), milk and cheese in big amounts. Processed food is also a rich source of fats that should be limited.

The whole fat intake should be approximately 15-25% of your total calories. Less percent may cause health problems, while going above will promote adipose tissue growth. Combining fats with high GI carbohydrates can also cause some problems, as insulin from the carbohydrates will promote this growth as well.

Written by: Dennis Borisoff
© October  2010 ww.gymper.com. All rights reserved. Reprint article with link only

Water, Vitamins & Minerals – nutrients for bodybuilders

A common opinion about bodybuilder’s diet is that is should include as many calories as possible, along with some vital elements. Some is a key word in this statement, as a lot of bodybuilders, not even novices, believe that that some is enough and therefore neglect the other part of balanced nutrition, which include water, vitamins and minerals. But these basic micronutrients play significant role in success of any sportsmen and deserve attention equally with others.

Water, for example, is the best transmitter of any other micronutrient in you body. It controls organs functioning, toxin levels, vital chemical reactions and absorption. In fact, the proper digestion, as well as balanced metabolism, is impossible without enough water. But what most people do? They drink if they feel thirsty only. It seems to be logic, but indeed that mean that you supply your body with water only when it start to cry for it desperately. The standard norm of water you should drink to stay hydrated is on average 3 or 4 liters per day. If you distribute it at regular basis regardless if you are thirsty or not, you will feel the difference in days. But be careful – your main water source should be water only, as other drinks considered to be diuretic, which mean that they actually take away more water than they bring.

Vitamins, a group of organic compounds, which are essential for normal growth and nutrition, are required in small quantities in the diet because they cannot be synthesized by the body. They work as catalyst in biochemical reactions and help to control tissue growth and maintenance. The most well known within these features is A vitamin, which can have an outstanding effect on the athletic. But this vitamin, along with D, E and K belongs to fat-soluble vitamins that are store in the fat tissue in the body. That’s why these vitamins shouldn’t be filled in every day, otherwise the risk of toxicity appears. Another group of vitamins are water-soluble and cannot be stored in the body as they go away with the urine. In that case these vitamins (vitamin C, biotin (H), folic acid and all the B complex vitamins, such as B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine) and B12) should be provided via your everyday diet. This diet therefore should include vegetables, fruits, fish and some other vitamin sources.

Minerals, the last but not the least, is also of great importance. They play significant role in muscle response, neurological transmitting, nutrients assimilation and some other vital biological reactions within the body. It also should be mentioned that without minerals a proper building of any tissue and internal fluid in the body is totally impossible. The thing is body cannot manufacture any mineral itself, that’s why it’s so important to provide enough minerals through your diet. Magnesium, calcium, chromium, sodium, zinc, phosphorous, iron, selenium are amongst the most important for any bodybuilder. Make sure you have enough (but not too much!) of them and feel the result immediately.

Written by: Dennis Borisoff
© October  2010 ww.gymper.com. All rights reserved. Reprint article with link only

Amino Acids for Bodybuilding

Amino acids are primary structure units of protein. They are responsible for countless body processes, extremely important for strong and healthy physiology. When the one provide the complete set of acids via his or her diet comprehensively, the most fundamental issue for any bodybuilder can be considered as solved. But to reach that goal you need to know some important information about amino acids.

Amongst 20 standard amino acids 11 are defined as non-essential, while the other 9 are, which mean that they must be supplied in the amount needed for body, as it as not able to produce them itself. These 9 vital amino acids are lysine, phenylalanine, isoleucine, leucine, valine, histidine, methionine, tryptophan and threonine. Each of them has its role in tissue and metabolism maintenance.

Lysine is vital for maintaining a positive level of nitrogen, as well as for manufacturing of muscle protein. It’s a great revitalizer and an effective fighter against exhaustion. You can find this amino acid in eggs, cheese, diary products, meat, fish and potatoes. Meat, fish and potatoes are also a great source of methionine that regulates fats usage and considered to be an essential compound for muscle growth. It also is a forerunner of creatine monohydrate inside the body.

Probably the most important aminos for the tissue recovery and growth are isoleucine, leucine, and valine. There Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA) have an amazing synergistic effect while working together. Promotion of muscle recovery, level of sugar regulation, hormone release and others are features of these amino acids. Isoleucine can be supplied with the help of meat (namely chicken and pork), fish, eggs, cottage cheese, cereal and cashews. Leucine sources are diary products and cereal, beans, buts, brown rice and legumes. Valine can be reached from dairy and soy products, meat,, fish, mushrooms, poultry, lentils and peanuts.

Histidine, another important amino acid, is also responsible for the tissue growth and repair. Its possible sources are dairy products, fruits (bananas and grapes, precisely), meat and poultry, rice and wheat. Phenylalanine is one of the glutamine manufacturer and vital for tyrosine synthesis, which can increase the level of neurotransmitters, such as dopamine. It can be found in dairy products, whole grains, nuts, legumes, fish and poultry. Poultry is also a source of threonine, which forms collagen and elastin and provide an appropriate absorption of other nutrients. Among other source of this amino acid are dairy products, eggs, lentils and meat. The last essential amoni acid is tryptophan, precursor of serotonin, which is responsible for restful sleep. Its sources include not only common dairy products, eggs, fish, meat and poultry, but also chocolate, bananas and oats.

11 others, non-essential amino acids are also called dispensable, which mean that they can be produced by the body to some extend. They are also of great importance for bodybuilder, that’s why the supplement that includes all amino acids is considered to be preferable. Glutamine, for example, is a strong natural anabolic stimulus. It also prevent ammonium levels from rising, protecting body cells from poisoning. A good news is this amino acid can be found in any high-protein food, which mean that it’s not that hard to supply it.

Another acids of dispensable category includes arginine, asparagines and aspartic acid, alanine, cysteine, glutamate and glutamine, glycine, tyrosine, proline and serine and also can be easily supplied by food mentioned above.

Written by: Dennis Borisoff
© September  2010 ww.gymper.com. All rights reserved. Reprint article with link only

It may seem unreasonable first, but really, do you want to lose water and muscles or fat? The right diet is not the one that makes your faint or sit in the toilet the whole day and night. The right diet is the one that helps you feel healthy and comfortable along with weight loss process.

Weight Loss

Moreover, you might be surprised, but the slowlier we lose our weight, the larger amount of fat is burned with it. Be patient and feel the result – spring muscles are still there while fat is gone.

If these reasons to eat haven’t convinced you yet, here are some more:

-          when you don’t eat, your metabolism slows. The more energy you take to exercise and burn calories, the faster a speed of a burnt.

-          Food gives you energy to regular training that is an extremely important part of weight loss. If you don’t consume enough calories, you will get tired too soon and won’t be able to shape you body as you want to.

-          If you eat, you have fewer reasons to give up. A serious breakdown on a diet is often a consequence of lack of ”staying power”. Being hungry is not ok for your body and it will remind you about it all the way… if only you won’t stop torturing it without any good reason.

-          Without food you won’t get enough vitamins and minerals for your body so you can say goodbye to your health eventually. Skin, teeth and hair will be the first to suffer. So if you goal is to be beautiful and attractive, hunger leads in the opposite direction.
As you see, there are plenty of reasons to avoid hunger schemes in dieting and follow some simple rules of nutrition, such as right amount of calories and right food combinations. Depend on your sex, age, constitution and other factors these rules can be defined by a doctor or even the simple common sense.

Good luck!

Written by: Dennis Borisoff © September  2010 ww.gymper.com. All rights reserved. Reprint article with link only